2023 Nissan Leaf Electric

The 2023 Nissan Leaf hatchback will see a facelift along with the deletion of three of its trims as well. Hence, the upcoming model will be left with only two trims which are the base S and the relatively posh SV Plus. The price of the base S trim is expected to start at $28,895 including the taxes. The S trim is too sparsely equipped with features that include basic ones such as keyless entry and ignition, an adjustable steering column, automatic headlamps, and cruise control. The top-end SV Plus brings in a lot of features, but for quite a premium as well. The features include heated ORVMs, upgraded 17-inch wheels with multi-spoke design, LED headlamps and LED DRLs, 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat with heating for front seats, heat pump, auto-dimming IRVM, and adaptive cruise control among a few others.

We Recommend

The base S trim is only recommended if you're on a budget constraint. Else, the SV Plus trim is the best one to go for since it offers more power and driving range apart from the handsome list of features.

Release Date

The 2023 Nissan Leaf has been released and is expected to go on sale by fall 2022.

During its launch, the Nissan Leaf was criticized for its lackluster driving range figures even though they were average for the class and the price the car came at. Fast-forward to 2022, the Leaf still has an average driving range to offer, especially with its base S trim but things have improved vastly with the addition of the higher SV Plus trim. The SV Plus gets a bigger 62-kWh lithium-ion battery pack which offers an average city driving range of 121 miles along with a highway driving range of 98 miles. The total driving range according to the EPA is rated at 212 miles, a significant improvement over the base trim’s 149-mile range. Charging the Nissan Leaf would be a time-consuming affair if you opt for the regular 120-volt household outlet. The household outlet would take about 2.5 days to fully charge the vehicle by adding a few miles to the driving range every hour. Stepping up to the 240-volt output reduces the time to 12 hours for the bigger 60kWh battery and about 9 hours for the smaller 40kWh battery. DC fast charging charges the Leaf from zero to 80 percent in about 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can use Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 public charging stations while out on the roads. Disappointingly, the Nissan Leaf requires a CHAdeMO connection while charging through DC chargers whereas a majority of the EVs have shifted to the more commonly used CCS connector.

As usual, the Tesla Model 3 offers the best city driving range along with the highest highway driving range here despite having a 50kWh battery only. However, its total driving range is just at par with the rivals at 250 miles. The Chevrolet Bolt EV has over 10 miles more of city range than the Leaf here along with an additional 9 miles of highway range as well. In terms of total mileage, it even beats the Tesla Model 3’s Standard Range model’s 250-mile range, with its 259-mile of total driving range. The Hyundai Kona Electric is almost identical to the Chevrolet Bolt EV in almost every aspect starting from the battery capacity to the city and overall driving range numbers.

The interior of the Nissan Leaf is where the car exudes most of its budget feeling with mediocre cabin materials. The cabin feels robust with all the panels solidly put together and you’d be surprised by the silence you’ll get inside the car even at highway speeds. At the front, the Leaf offers plenty of headroom and legroom, even for tall adults and the seats are comfortable for long journeys too. The overall design is user-friendly and well within the reach of the driver as well. However, the design has started to show its age when compared to the newer and updated rivals out there. The rear seats are comfortable too with an adequate amount of headroom and legroom on offer. The cargo capacity behind the rear seats is impressive at 23.6 cu-ft. Feature-wise, the base S trim only gets a few convenience features such as a cargo area organizer, adjustable steering column, and keyless ignition. The SV Plus sets things on track with more features such as an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat along with heating for both the driver’s seat and front passenger seat, and a heat pump that helps to keep the cabin warm.

The Tesla Model 3 walks a different path with its interior design. There are practically no buttons on the inside apart from the indicator stalks and the steering-mounted buttons. A huge centrally-mounted infotainment screen dominates the dashboard that houses all the controls and settings of the car. Interior space is adequate for both the front and rear passengers while the cargo capacity behind the rear seats is average at 15 cu-ft. The Chevrolet Bolt EV’s cabin looks and feels surprisingly good for the class and the price it comes at, and a lot different than the interior designs we see on other Chevy vehicles. The interior space is at par with the rivals here and the same goes for the cargo capacity as well. The Hyundai Kona Electric gets a typical cabin design you’d find inside other updated vehicles from the brand. Even though the headroom is slightly tighter than what you’d find inside the rivals here, the space is adequate at the most.

Some of the key interior features available with the 2023 Nissan Leaf include:

• Adjustable steering column
• 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat
• Heated front seats
• Heat pump
• Keyless ignition
• Auto-dimming IRVM

How intuitive is the 2023 Nissan Leaf’s infotainment system?

The 2023 Nissan Leaf might be ill-equipped in its base form, but its infotainment system tells a different tale. As standard, the system offers an 8-inch touchscreen display with a user-friendly interface. The display is bright and the menu options are arranged for easy access as well. In terms of features, the system gets standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with satellite radio, Bluetooth, a four-speaker audio system, one USB port, and a six-speaker audio system on the SV Plus trim.

Some of the most notable infotainment features available with the 2023 Nissan Leaf include:

• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Bluetooth
• Satellite radio
• USB port
• 4-speaker/6-speaker audio system

The 2023 Nissan Leaf will arrive with an updated exterior styling that includes a slightly redesigned front grille, a redesigned front bumper, and redesigned exterior lighting. After entering its second-generation mode, the Leaf already looks quite aggressive with Nissan’s latest V-shaped grille design which you’d find on other vehicles from the brand’s stable. The wheels will get an updated multi-spoke design, giving the car an additional dose of coolness. The side profile of the car remains as streamlined as possible with a couple of subtle character lines flowing across the doors from the front fenders to the rear fenders. The rear end of the car gets a unique design with a black treatment at the middle of the liftgate. The charging ports of the car are placed on the nose of the car with a cover that sits flush with the front fascia of the Leaf.

The Tesla Model 3’s exterior design stands out from the crowd with a unique, front grille-less design while it looks slightly similar to the Model S from behind. It has the longest wheelbase and is the longest one here as well. The Chevrolet Bolt EV looks like a sci-fi movie car due to its front-end design while from the back, it gets a similar black treatment on its liftgate as the Leaf. It is the most compact one here, both on paper and in real life as well. The Hyundai Kona Electric has a similar design to the regular Kona SUV minus the front grille, giving it a more streamlined appearance. Surprisingly, it has the highest ground clearance among the rivals it competes with here.

Some standout exterior features include:

• Halogen/LED headlamps with auto on/off
• Heated ORVMs
• 17-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels
• Rear window defrost
• Premium paint(SV Plus trim only)
• LED DRLs

The 2023 Nissan Leaf will come with an excellent safety aspect since there will be no upgrade in that area over the current model. The 2022 Leaf scored a perfect 5-star rating from the NHTSA; however, the IIHS did not crash test the car completely. Apart from having the basic safety aids in place, the car additionally gets forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and rear automatic braking. The SV PLus trim further gets adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, and a steering assist for the adaptive cruise control system.

Some of the standout safety features include:

• Automatic emergency braking and Pedestrian detection
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert 
• Rear automatic braking
• 360-degree camera system 
• Adaptive cruise control with steering assistance
• Brake assist
• Electronic stability control

2023 Nissan Leaf vs 2022 Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 is one of the best out there in terms of performance and comfort but carries a hefty price tag than most of the rivals in this class. In terms of safety too, the car single-handedly beats a majority of the offerings in the segment as well. However, the Leaf is more compact than the Model S due to its hatchback-style design, making it easier to drive within tight spaces and congested city traffic.

2023 Nissan Leaf vs 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV

The Chevrolet Bolt EV was General Motors’ response to the Leaf and the Bolt has come a long way in terms of improvement as well. Apart from offering a better city and overall driving range numbers, the Bolt has a better and more compact design than the Leaf. The Bolt also enjoys comprehensive warranty coverage whereas the Leaf’s standard warranty coverage is mediocre given its price tag.

2023 Nissan Leaf vs 2022 Hyundai Kona Electric

Hyundai did a commendable job by electrifying the Kona for the EV markets while retaining the design and the practicality of the regular crossover. Moreover, the Kona offers a much better driving range and standard features considering its price and this is where the Leaf takes the back seat. In terms of design though, both the cars are quite competitive.

Need an EV for your daily driving needs, especially within the city limits, the Nissan Leaf comes up as a potential option in the segment. The Leaf woos the budget-oriented shoppers with its affordable base S trim and it covers the basics such as having a well-equipped infotainment system and an impressive safety department. The higher SV Plus trim also relieved a considerable amount of range and performance woes with its bigger battery pack and a more powerful motor over the base trim. Overall, the Nissan Leaf offers good value for its price but for more driving range, you might take a second look at the Kona Electric or the Bolt EV.